By Razaq Bamidele and Moshood Adebayo, Abeokuta
It was all fun and thrills yesterday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital as the former Lagos State Governor, and the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) leader,
Asiwaju Bola Tinubu was conferred with the chieftaincy title of Aare Ago of Egbaland by the Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo The Ake palace ground, the venue of the conferment was a beehive of activities as hundreds of political leaders and supporters thronged the ancient palace in colourful dresses.
Among them were the presidential candidate of Congress for Progressive Change, (CPC), Mohammed Buhari, the ACN presidential candidate in the last general election, Alhaji Nuhu Ribadu, as well as governors of Ogun, Osun, Ekiti and Oyo states .
Elder statesman and former governor of Lagos State, Alhaji Lateef Jakande, National Chairman of the ACN, Chief Bisi Akande and former Ogun State governor, Aremo Olusegun Osoba and host of others also attended the ceremony. Oba Gbadebo, while honouring Tinubu with the war title, described the ACN leader as a fighter for the oppressed and the common people in the country.
His words: “He has demonstrated high courage and commitment to justice. Tinubu was an irrepressible fighter for protection of civic liberty in the country.’’ He charged him not to relent in his efforts at liberating the general masses from the shackles of poverty and oppression. Earlier, Osoba, the Akinrogun of Egbaland, who spoke on behalf of Oba Gbadebo shortly after the conferment of the title on Tinubu revealed that attempts were made by the government in power then to stop the Alake’s enthronement.
While recalling what he described as the invincible roles Tinubu played seven years ago before the Alake could be enthroned, Osoba said: “Many people did not know why Aare-Ago is being honoured today.”
He added: “When the throne became vacant, there were intrigues to stop Oba Adedotun Gbadebo from being the Alake from the top, from the government and everybody.” What people did not know was that it was the Aare Ago that I called upon when I was told that the Alake was to be removed. According to Osoba, the title should have been conferred on Tinubu seven years ago but “because we had a government in power who did not want anybody else to be anything in Egbaland or in Ogun State.’’ .
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